Method of replenishing fuel-oil supply systems



amh R00@ Sept. 7, 1937. E. c. :NGRAHAM 2,092,072

METHOD oF REPLENISHING FUEL oIL SUPPLY SYSTEMS Original Filed June l0, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E l L gs 23 i g i V 1 L BU RNIRO Seamh Room Sept. 7, 1937. l

E. C. INGRAHAM METHOD OF REPLENISHIG FUEL OIL SUPPLY SYSTEMS original Fileduune 1o, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 2 IHI UNITED STATES search ROW* PATENT OFFICE l METHOD OF REPLENISHING FUEL-OIL SUP- PLY SYSTEMS Elmer C. Ingraham, Hampstead, N. H.

Original application June 10, 1932, Serial No. 616,455. Divided and this application July 26, 1935, Serial No. 33,307

2 Claims.

This invention relates to method of replenishing the supply of liquid to the vacuum container of a barometric-pressure liquid-feeding system, and more especially, fuel-oil supply systems used in connection with range oil burners.

Fuel-oil supply systems now in use generally involve an inverted bottle, the refilling of which requires its removal from its support and the transportation thereof to a distantly-located source of oil usually kept in the cellar, or at a point not in proximity to the reservoir. To overcome the objection to supply systems of this type it has been proposed to refill the bottles pneumatically Without removal of the same from the reservoir and without exposure of the oil to the atmosphere. Systems of this type are provided with closures having manually-actuated valves for controlling the air-Vent pipe and the oil-inlet pipe which projects up into the bottle and the outlet pipe which extends into the reservoir, and controlling also the connection between said oilinlet pipe and the supply conduit connecting the oil source with the bottle. For various reasons such valved closure is cumbersome and objectionable.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of replenishing fuel-oil supply systems whereby the necessity for such manually-actuated valve is eliminated.

In the practice of my method, I prefer to use an automatic or self-acting valve controlled by the level of the oil in the reservoir, whereby the delivery outlet of the bottle is closed during the delivery of oil to the bottle through the supply conduit and opened upon completion of the replenishing operation, thereby eliminating the necessity for the manually-operated valve aforesaid.

An apparatus whereby my invention may be carried out is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a sectional view of an oil-supply system embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the oil bottle or container; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the float-valve shown in Fig. 2.

My invention is designed vfor application to existing equipment now in general use. Such equipment comprises a reservoir I connected with the range oil burner by piping II, together with an oil container, usually in the form of a bottle I2 having a threaded neck, such bottle being provided with a cap having a springpressed valve that is automatically opened when the bottle is placed in position on the reservoir, the oil thereupon feeding into the reservoir as required and the level of the same being maintained by barometric pressure.

According to my invention the cap aforesaid is removed and a closure of another type substituted therefor, such closure consisting of a cap I3 provided with rolled threads for engagement with the threaded neck of the bottle and adapted to be xedly secured thereto in any suitable manner, as for example, by cement I4. Fixedly secured to the bottom of said cap is a anged annulus I5, `the flanges of which are supported by the vertical wall of the' reservoir and the boss I6 rising from the base thereof. The connection of the cap I3 to the oil bottle and the engagement of the flanged annulus I5 with the reservoir are both permanent in the sense that after the system has been installed there is no occasion for removing the cap from the bottle or the bottle from the reservoir. The rim II disposed between said annulus and the flange thereof is in contact with the wall of the reservoir and the boss I'B whereby a firm and substantial connection between the bottle closure and reservoir is effected.

Passing through and rising from the cap are the inlet pipe I8 and the air-vent pipe I9 and depending from said cap is the oil-outlet pipe 20. These pipes are suitably secured toy the cap, and the outlet pipe and lower portion of the air vent project into the reservoir. The oil-inlet pipe passes through an opening in the flanged annulus and is suitably coupled to the oil-supply pipe 2|. The lower end of the oil-outlet pipe is provided with a valve-seat arranged toI be closed by the valve 22 secured by the bar v23 to the float 24, said valve being provided with a stem 25 passing through the oil-outlet pipe and serving to guide said float. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the particular automatic float-valve shown in Fig. 2.

The oil-supply pipe 2| is shown in the present instance as connected to a compression chamber in the form of a bottle 26 'provided with a threaded neck adapted to receive the cap 2l which may be fixedly secured thereto by cement, or in any other suitable manner. Secured to and passing through the cap are the oil-supply pipe 2|, the arm 28 of asyphon, hereinafter more fully described, and the air-pipe 29 which terminates in a suitable air-pump connection 30. When the nozzle 3| of the air-pump 3| is held against said connection, it will be clear that the actuation of the pump piston will force air through the pipe "29 and into the compression receptacle 26.

A check valve 32 of any suitable construction is placed in the arm 28 of the syphon to prevent substantial fluid movement from said compression receptacle back through the arms 33 and 34 of the syphon to the storage tank 35 suitably supported at a higher level than said receptacle.

The operation is as follows: When air forced by`tl' pump throiig'h"'tli"ar-pipe or tube 29 is compressed in the chamber 26, oil is driven up through the supply tube or pipe 2I. When oil is forced through the pipe 2I by air pressure created in the receptacle 26 and the bottle is thereby refilled by the passage of oil through the inlet pipe I8, it will be obvious that there will be an abnormal flow of oil through the outlet pipe 20 until the oil level in the reservoir rises sulciently to cause the oat valve to effect the closure of said outlet pipe. After the container `has been refilled,Y and Yoilis withdrawn fromhthe reservoir by thedburner, the v-level of the oil in the reservoir will be maintained barometrically and irrespectivelywof-r the positin'of Athew floatvalve 2D below the lower end of thewoutletmpipe.

When oil is forced by pressure from the bottle 26 into the container I2, in order to replenish the latter, there is of course a steady flow of oil through the outlet pipe, the reservoir AI0 being empty, and such steady flow is designated as an abnormal flow of oil through said outlet pipe in contradistinction to the normal flow therethrough when a substantially constant level of the oil in the reservoir isY maintainedbaro- V rnetrically Such abnormal flow, in the* particular structure shown in the drawings to illustrate my method, causes the float valve to rise and the valve 22 to close the outlet pipe. Upon the closure of said outlet pipe, the replenishingoperation begins.

As soon as the replenishing operation is completed, the air pump is removed from the connection 30 and the pressure on the oil in the bottle 26 is relieved. The oil in the supply pipe 2|, i. e., the column of oil in said pipe from the lower end thereof near the bottom of the bottle 26 to its upper end near the top of the container I2, then flows back into said bottle, thereby creating a partial vacuum in the top of the container I2, whereupon a small quantity of oil is drawn up through the vent pipe I9 from the reservoir I0, thereby lowering the level of oil in the latter sufficiently to cause the oat valve 22 to move downwardly off its seat and open the outlet pipe for normal flow of oil therethrough.

Thus it will be seen that my method comprises two steps, viz., rst, the closing of the delivery outlet of the container by the effect of an abnormal liquid flow through the same that results from the initiation of fluid pressure prior to the replenishing of the container, and second, the opening of the delivery outlet by the effect of the cessation of said fluid pressure subsequent to the completion of the replenishing operation.

As the oil rises in the container, the air therein is vented through the pipe I9, said pipe preferably, though not necessarily, projecting farther into the reservoir than the outlet pipe 2li, the height of which above the bottom of the reservoir governs the level of the oil therein, according to well-known principles.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 616,455, led June 10, 1932.

Having thus described an illustrative apparatus whereby my invention may be realized in practice without however limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Method of replenishing the supply of liquid to the vacuum container of Ya barometric-pressure liquid-feeding system characterized by the fact that by fluid pressure liquid is raised from a source of supply to said vacuum container, which comprises the steps of closing the delivery outlet of said vacuum container by the effect of the abnormal liquid flow therethrough resulting from the initiation of said fluid pressure prior to the replenishing of said container and opening said delivery outlet by the effect of the cessation of said fluid pressure subsequent to the completion of such replenishing.

2. Method of replenishing the supply of liquid to the vacuum container of a barometric-pressure liquid-feeding system characterized by the fact that byv fluid Lfessure., liquid is raised from a source of suppl to said vacuum container, which consists in initiating a fluid` pressure on the body of liquid in said source of supply, thereby raising said liquid freni/said source of supply to said vacuum container and causing an abnormal flow thereof through the delivery outlet of saidwacuum container, closing said delivery outlet by the effect of such abnormal flow through said delivery outlet, continuing saidjluid pressure on the liquid in said source of supply, thereby replenishing said vacuum container, and then discontinuing such fluid pressure on the liquid in said source of supply and opening said delivery outlet by the effect of the cessation of such fluid pressure for normal flow of liquid therethrough.

ELMER C. INGRAHAM. 

